BMC/Donald Healey Motor Co, 'Works' Cars
1959 to 1964
776 KNX | 693 LAC |
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click on any of the above to access the individual web pages for these cars
The title Sebring Sprite was born out of the success of the 'works' team of Sprites which were entered for the 12 Hour Grand Prix d'Endurance at the Sebring Raceway in Florida, USA in March 1959. Less than a year after the Austin-Healey Sprite went into production, BMC entered four cars for this prestigious event. The cars were taken from the production line at Abingdon and transferred to Donald Healey Motor Co at The Cape Works, Warwick where Geoff Healey, son of Donald, organised their preparation. They were equipped with Dunlop disc brakes on all four wheels as well as Dunlop wire wheels and tyres. Modifications to the engines included fitting 1¼" SUs in place of the smaller, 1⅛", originals. Jensen's pretty hardtops were fitted together with the taller-than-standard side-screens. Paintwork was Speedwell Blue (as against the standard Sprite colour: Iris Blue) with white hardtops. The all-American (almost, as Sutherland is Canadian) driver line-up was:
Race No | Driver 1 | Driver 2 | Driver 3 | Pos in race | Today |
53 | Ed Leavens | Dr. Harold Kunz | 2nd | believed destroyed when fell off trailer 'en route' to a 60's race at Wisconsin | |
54 | Hugh Sutherland | Phil Stiles | 1st | Click here to go to a page about this car, restored by Butch Gilbert | |
55 | Fred Hayes | John Christy | John Colgate | 3rd |
car bore reg no 173 AC |
78 | Sydney Oakes | Greta Oakes | P. Bethel | dns |
The fourth car, No. 78, was a reserve and did not race but the remaining three ran (mostly) reliably throughout the long race finishing 1st, 2nd and 3rd in their class (for 750 to 1000cc GT cars). After the event the cars were apparently sold off to local dealers and did not return to the UK. One of them, the No.54 Sutherland/Stiles car which won its class has recently under-gone full restoration by its owner Butch Gilbert in California (right) and has been for sale. More:
SEBRING 1960 - 4 HOURS
For the 1960 race a new car (though Geoff Healey described it as their Targa Florio car, TFR 1) was built up by the Canadian distributors using parts supplied from Warwick, England. It bore the registration plate 7080AC and had a red body with white or grey hardtop and was entered with Stirling Moss as its driver. He finished 1st in class and 2nd overall. (Historic photos kindly supplied by Jonathan Whitehouse-Bird). The car story is recorded on the 'moss60sebring' page and many of the car's components are thought to be contained in the one now owned by Ron Gordon. A second car entered may have been one of the 1959 cars which this time ran un-registered and its drivers were Moore and Lilley. It failed to complete the distance.
& the 12 HOURS
John Sprinzel and John Lumkin drove the Falcon-bodied Sprite bearing the registration 5983AC in this, the long distance race, to 1st place in its class, 41st overall. The Works Falcon Sprite
SEBRING 1961 - 4 HOURS
Reg No: | Race No: | Driver | Co-driver | Body | Overall result |
8423UE | 4 | Ed Leavens | GRP body | 6th | |
8424UE | 6 | Briggs Cunningham | Dick Thompson | GRP body | 8th |
8425UE | 5 | BruceMcLaren | GRP body with hood | 4th | |
8427UE | 3 | Walt Hansgen | Alloy hardtop by Les Ireland | 3rd |
(N.B. It is not verified as to whether Nos.4 & 6 were 8423UE or 8424UE, or vice versa.)
It was in this event that Stirling Moss, driving Sprinzel's Coupé PMO200, came 5th overall and his sister, Pat, was seventh in S221 (See under Williams & Pritchard). Butch Gilbert kindly supplied me with information relating to the car believed to have been driven by Briggs Cunningham. The Walt Hansgen car later became the Ecurie Ecosse Le Mans car re-registered 1413WD.
& the 12 HOURS
Reg No: | Race No: | Driver | Co-driver | Body | Class | Overall |
8426UE | 65 | Ed Leavens | John Colgate | "The Roadster" | 3rd | 25th |
8427UE | 66 | Joe Buzetta | Glenn Carlson | Alloy hardtop by Les Ireland | 2nd | 15th |
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See also the Works Register 1959 to 64 page, and then take a look at Works Cars 1965 to 69 and Works Register 1965 to 69 for the 10 "wind-tunnel" cars, and others of that period.